Today’s racing tips: Best bets and odds for Newbury on Friday

We’re slowly returning to earth after the Cheltenham Festival and there’s a good card at Newbury today, with five runners catching the eye on betting sites.

A novices’ hurdle that includes several potential improvers but, unless he has an off day, Came From Nowhere should prove tough to beat. Jeremy Scott’s seven-year-old has managed to win a couple of races even while times have been tough for the trainer during this season.

He should be marked up for that, while his last two performances, scoring at Hereford (2m3½f, soft; first-time tongue-tie) last December and then in a Class 2 handicap at Ascot (2m3½f, soft) in January, have both been better than anything else in this field has achieved.

He’s had wind surgery since that success and was taken out of the Turners Novices’ Hurdle at Cheltenham last week due to unsuitable ground. While that was described as good to soft, it looked a little quicker than that and he should be fine at Newbury if conditions are slower.

He sets the standard here and the extra furlong to travel should, if anything, be advantageous for this bumper winner.

Newbury tip 1: Came From Nowhere – 3pt win @ 10/11 Sky Bet

Captain Bellamy has been put in as the favourite on horse racing betting sites for this and he has run well here in the past. Paul Nicholls puts cheekpieces on him for the first time and he looks capable of going well but he’s quite a skinny price for his achievements.

I’m going to take him on with a last-time winner in He Knows Better, who has the champion jockey Sean Bowen up. Sean drew a blank at the Cheltenham Festival but has resumed winning ways since, racking up eight more between Saturday and Wednesday.

He’s been booked by Warren Greatrex, who trained Bob Mahler to win this race in 2019. While He Knows Better didn’t showed improved form when scoring at Southwell (2m4½f, soft), the trip was on the short side for him and he did showed plenty of guts, having made an error at the last but still proving good enough to come back and win.

The front pair were clear that day and a 5lb rise looks pretty fair. Going back up to this longer trip will suit and he is taken to successfully defy that rise.

Newbury tip 2: He Knows Better - 2pt win @ 5/2 bet365

We’ve only got the two places to play for here but that could still be enough to make a profit through Lihyan, who’s usual consistency deserted him at Musselburgh last time, when never involved.

He sees out three miles well, has already run well over C&D this season and the forecast conditions should be ideal for him. Rebecca Menzies sends him on the long trip south and there looks to be some value in his price on betting apps on an each-way basis, which is not to say he can’t get his nose in front.

Newbury tip 3: Lihyan – 1pt each-way @ 5/1 QuinnBet

This 0-120 handicap has drawn a decent-sized field of chasers, mostly on their way up in the game. One of those is the Ben Pauling-trained Wheresmemoneygone, who has had four starts over fences and has yet to finish outside the first two.

An easy winner on his debut in this sphere at Perth (3m, good) last July, he was turned over when favourite at Uttoxeter next time (3m2f, good) and also succumbed to one other when returning there over shorter (3m, good) last September.

He was then given a break until last month, when he returned to action dropping back in trip to 2m5½f at Taunton (good to soft) and, with cheekpieces on for the first time, he showed improved form to win convincingly.

The extra furlong here won’t be a problem and he’s a likeable, keen-going sort who seems well suited to being prominent in his races. This lovely, galloping track should suit and he looks capable of successfully defying a 7lb rise and winning again.

Newbury tip 4: Wheresmemoneygone – 2pt win @ 11/4 bet365

This looks like an opportunity for handicap newcomer Jackpot Cauviliere to make an immediate impact in this sphere. The Harry Derham-trained seven-year-old changed hands for £100,000 shortly after winning a soft ground Irish point for Stuart Crawford in November 2024.

To date, he’s had just two starts over hurdles, running with credit at both Warwick (2m5f, soft) and more recently, Ffos Las (2m4f, soft). Conditions at Newbury are not forecast to be as testing, so there’s a little bit to prove there but the step up to an extended three miles should be very positive.

Derham has opted for first-time cheekpieces for his charge, whose initial mark of 114 could look lenient at around 4.50pm on Friday.

Newbury tip 5: Jackpot Cauviliere – 1pt win @ 13/2 bet365

If you’re planning on having a bet on any race at Newbury, remember to always stick to a budget and never exceed it.

Never chase your losses. Always remain in control of your time and budget.

Bettors should use responsible gambling tools provided by gambling sites, such as deposit limits, loss limits and self-exclusion among others.

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In the UK, there are a number of gambling addiction charities ready and prepared to help you with counselling, support groups and practical advice on how to help you recover if you do lose control:

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